Real Madrid considers appeal after four‑match ban on Vinicius Junior

At the Bernabéu, the 26‑year‑old Brazilian Vinicius Junior was suspended for four games by the Spanish football commission (RFEF) after a red card against Villarreal, meaning he will miss the upcoming El Clásico against Barcelona.

Scope of the suspension and reasons

The disciplinary commission imposed a two‑match ban for a hair pull on Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba, which it described as “violent conduct outside the play”. Two additional matches were awarded for his aggressive protest behaviour towards the referee after the red card.

Implications for the upcoming fixtures

Vinicius will miss the La Liga matches against Sevilla (18 October), Barcelona (25 October), Racing Santander (1 November) and Valencia (7 November). However, he remains eligible for the Champions League and can feature against AS Roma, RB Leipzig and AEK Athens.

The Brazilian international apologised publicly on Instagram, writing: “Sorry to my team and my fans”. In his post he did not mention Saliba, but instead shared a video compilation clip that, in his view, should show similar offences.

Real Madrid's manager José Mourinho, who did not attend the press conference after the incident, spoke ahead of the Champions League tie against AS Roma and stressed that he wants to use Vinicius more cautiously in the future to avoid further incidents.

The RFEF commission noted in its letter that the evidence material submitted by the team was insufficient to prove the hair pull as “unintentional contact”. It cited Articles 127 and 130.2 of its disciplinary code, which justify the respective sanctions.

Vinicius’ statistics for Real Madrid to date include 385 appearances, 129 goals and 103 assists across all competitions. Despite the suspension, he remains available for the away matches in the Champions League, while he must sit out the home La Liga games.

The debate over the punishment has caused a stir in Spanish forums and the Bundesliga community, with terms such as “No Clásico against Barcelona” and “Support Premium Service” appearing in the posts.